


Finding the Truth

by Fandom_Writer_31



Series: The Royal Romance AU [2]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Swap, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:35:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25712902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Writer_31/pseuds/Fandom_Writer_31
Summary: Ellie's heart was broken the night of the Coronation and she's left wondering what will come of her as she heads back to her real life. However, she learns of another scandal involving her real life that can make matters worse if she reveals her fake identity and real identity are the same people. After hearing of a plan to keep the two identities separate for now, she must now go through the Engagement Tour and try to clear her fake name all the while watching Liam be in a relationship with Madeleine. With her friends and family supporting her, will Ellie be able to handle all the pressure? Or will she crack under it?
Relationships: Liam/Main Character (The Royal Romance), Original Character/Original Character
Series: The Royal Romance AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734439
Comments: 15
Kudos: 11





	1. The Day After

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Part 2 of the Royal Romance AU! Hope you enjoy!

Sunlight streamed through the windows of balcony doors, stopping just short of the bed so as not to disturb the person sleeping. But Ellie was wide awake for she had a hard time falling asleep that night. After returning home, she had headed right towards her room and quickly changed, tearing apart her dress in a fit of rage. She glanced over at the remains of her dress next to her bed, laying in tattered piles along with her shoes and jewelry. She still couldn’t believe everything that had happened the night before nor could she now.

Ellie watched the sunlight grow more towards her as the sun rose and she finally decided to get up. She threw her legs over the side as she sat up and ran her hand over her face. It felt grimy and dry from last night’s tears and left-over make-up. She should wash her face before she went downstairs to face her parents. As she was about to get up, a knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” she answered, not turning towards the door as it opened. Footsteps walked into the room and they stopped a foot from the bed. “Would you like me to send up breakfast, my lady?”

Ellie shook her head. “No, thank you, Bianca. I’ll be joining my parents for breakfast.” She got up and turned to face the young woman, giving her a gentle smile. “Thank you for the offer.

Bianca nodded. “May I ask what you would like to wear for the day?”

“Something comfy. I’ll let you pick it out for me.” Ellie didn’t wait for a reply as she walked into her en-suite bathroom, gently closing the door behind her. She dared a glance in the mirror and winced at her reflection. Her eyes were red and puffy with her eye make-up smudged around them. Dried up tear streaks were enhanced by the foundation and concealer still on her face. Her hair was sticking up in different directions while some of it was still in the updo that she hastily tried to take out last night. She looked and felt like a mess. Ellie sighed as she ran the water, splashing her face a few times before cleaning herself up. She diligently pulled the pins out of her hair, running her fingers through it to find any loose hair accessories before running a brush through it.

She walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later and glanced at the bed. A simple turquoise dress with a quarter length strap laid on top. She stepped out of her nightgown and, with Bianca’s help, put on the dress. Bianca smoothed out the dress from behind as Ellie threw her hair into a messy bun. She didn’t care about looking nice, it was only her parents after all.

After thanking Bianca, she left her room and walked down the halls towards the main staircase, her hand gliding over the railing as she walked downstairs. She crossed the hall and into the dining room where her parents sat at the table, conversing amongst each other which faded out when Ellie walked in. Her mother gave her a small smile, but Ellie ignored her as she walked over to the table ladened with breakfast. Grabbing a plate, she scooped up some fruit with some yogurt before taking a seat at the table across from her mother. Natalia glanced at her plate. “Is that all you’re having?”

“I’m not very hungry,” Ellie answered as she ate a strawberry.

“How did you sleep?” Lawrence asked.

“Fine.”

Her parents shared a look, and Natalia opened her mouth to speak when Ellie spoke first. “Can we not talk about the ball? Please?”

A deep frown spread across Natalia’s face, hearing how hurt and sad Ellie sounded when she spoke. Natalia sighed then nodded. “As you wish.”

Just then, their butler, Marcus, walked up to Lawrence. “Pardon me, my Lord, but the Dowager Countess is on the phone.”

“Right,” Lawrence wiped his mouth and moved to stand up. “I’ll-”

“She wishes to speak to Her Ladyship.”

Natalia glanced up at Marcus the nodded, getting up from her seat as she left the dining room. Marcus moved to push her chair in and remove the empty plate. Lawrence turned to his daughter, who had resorted to stirring her yogurt around her plate. He reached across and grabbed hold of her hand, stopping his daughter’s movements. “I’m truly sorry this had happened to you. If I could, I would try and stop all of this from happening.”

“Even if you could, he still would have picked her,” Ellie choked out, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt tears forming in her eyes once again. Lawrence frowned as he squeezed her hand, anger filling his chest at what Liam did to her daughter. Of course, he was not involved in this plot, he hoped, but he broke his daughter’s heart, and that trumps anything else that boy could have done. He knew he was going to have a hard time keeping himself together whenever he sees that boy.

Natalia came back in and both turned to her. “What did mother want?” Lawrence asked.

“She called to say she and Lewis are coming up and they’ll be here by dinner.” She turned to Marcus. “Marcus, can you let Mrs. Miller know we’ll be having two more for dinner tonight?”

“Will do, my Lady,” Marcus answered with a nod.

“Did she say why?”

“She said she will explain when they get here so it can be a number of things.”

Ellie stood up, placing her napkin on the table. Natalia eyed her plate of half-eaten fruit and untouched yogurt. “Did you get enough to eat?” she gently asked.

“I’m not very hungry,” Ellie answered as she walked out of the room, missing the worried look her parents exchanged when she left.

*******

Later that day, Ellie was sitting on the railing of her balcony, reading a book to try and calm her racing mind. Her fingers itched to go to the music room to play her feelings out on the piano but for the first time, she didn’t want to play. The main reason being she didn’t want to face her parents at the moment. She knew they meant well and only wanted to help her, but this was something that she didn’t want any sympathy for. This was her mess for believing and letting another man fool her into having sex. She could picture her aunt saying, ‘third time’s the charm,’ but she was starting to doubt if there will be a third time. Maybe she was destined to be alone. _Maybe I’ll adopt some dogs and treat them as my babies,_ Ellie thought to herself. _My furry babies._

She heard footsteps coming closer from her room to her balcony and, thinking it was Bianca, said, “I’m not hungry for lunch, Bianca. I’ll be down for dinner.”

“I don’t know if I should be offended or concerned,” a male rang out.

“I would be more offended in your case,” a teasing voice said.

Ellie glanced up from her book to see her cousins standing in the entrance of the balcony. Oscar and Charlie, both with short brown hair and similar facial features, were the youngest of all the cousins. The twins were a bit hard to tell apart, especially with how similar they looked, but people can tell by their eyes. Charlie has brown eyes while Oscar has blue eyes. It’s funny how both boys received the features of both their mom and dad, like little carbon copies. Both boys were mischievous ones growing up, always getting into trouble or causing some form of havoc for their parents. But as they matured and found their hobbies, they mellowed out to pursue their passion. Charlie started drawing at the age of ten before slowing getting more and more into the arts, now loving his passion for painting. Last Ellie heard, Charlie was going to college to major in art with a minor in writing.

As for Oscar, he fell in love with horseback riding after he rode the trail with Ellie when he was ten. He slowly learned how to compete in dressage competitions before he became fascinated with horse racing. He’s slowly been learning what jockeys do for their horses. Oscar has even ridden some of the horses out onto the track to get them exercised before their races. However, he is going to college to get a degree in case he decides not to make a life out of being a jockey and also to have a little cushion. He doesn’t know what he wants to major in so his first year will just be a bunch of gen. eds.

Victor stood in-between the twins, a small smile on his face. He was a bit shorter than the twins at twenty-two, but he doesn’t let that bother him, no matter how much the twins tease him about it. He’s a big sweetheart and he’s secretly competing in ice skating. His mother is a strict woman, and she only wants him to do activities that will improve his social standing. Ice skating was considered too “girly” for him, but it didn’t stop him from going skating with his cousins during the winter season. Over the years, he's gotten better at it and, with the help and encouragement from his cousins, he decided to start competing. Since his senior debut, he’s won many gold medals and he’s ranked as the third-best male skater in the world. 

“What are you three doing here?” Ellie asked, getting up from her spot to greet each of her cousins with a hug.

“Grandma called Mom and said we needed to be at your place,” Victor explained, returning his cousin’s hug. “We all heard what happened at the Coronation Ball.”

“Of course, you did,” Ellie huffed, “But it doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“We’re here as moral support,” Oscar exclaimed, giving her a soft smile. “Thought you could get your mind off everything and relax.”

“I don’t how much relaxing I’ll be able to do, but I appreciate the gesture.” Ellie smiled at them. “But I’m surprised Grandma called you two here as well.” She gestured to the twins.

“Alicia called us and told us to come over,” Charlie explained then gestured to the door with his head. “She’s in the library with her Moms and Aunt Natalia.”

“Is the whole family here?” Ellie wondered as she squeezed by the boys to get into her room.

“Pretty much,” Oscar replied. “Except for Aunt Lena and Abuela.”

“I’m guessing mother sent you three to come get me?”

At his nod, Ellie hummed then walked out of her room with her cousins right behind her. As they walked, the four caught up on how they’ve been the past seven years. Ellie noticed how the boys kept the conversation steered away from the social season and she was grateful for that. It was still fresh in her mind and she was pretty sure she would start crying again if it was brought up.

The four reached the main floor and Ellie parted from her cousins to go into the library. Her mother was conversing with her Aunt Lucile while her Aunt Nikita and cousin Alicia listened. Alicia was the first to notice her and immediately walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so sorry,” she started, holding her tight.

Ellie smiled, returning the hug. “It’s not your fault.”

Alicia stilled and then pulled away, looking everywhere but at Ellie. “It…kind of is.”

Ellie could only stare at her cousin with wide eyes. Alicia was the most trusting and kindest person she knew, besides Hana, but she could _never_ imagine her cousin betraying her. Hell would have to freeze over for that to happen.

The two have been close growing up with Ellie being only a few months older than Alicia. Her aunts had adopted Alicia a year after their marriage for they both wanted kids and Alicia’s real mother wasn’t ready for that commitment. When she was born, it was surprising how similar she looked to both Lucile and Nikita and could almost pass as their own daughter. She had jet black hair and chocolate eyes and she was as sweet as her mothers raised her to be. Ellie and Alicia became sisters to each other, always there for each other when needed. And when Ellie decided to go to America for school, the two made the decision that Alicia would pretend to be Emilia and make up the story that she was traveling the world. Alicia even dyed and styled her hair the same as Ellie’s after she left so no one would know the wiser.

“Alicia, you are not at fault,” Nikita stated, her voice gentle yet firm. “It’s the press for publishing that article.” Nikita was born in Japan and she came to Europe for school where she met Lucile in the same university. Lucile was studying photography while Nikita was studying cosmetology. The two spent a lot of time together with both realizing they loved each other and soon got together. It was a shock to both families and while Lucile’s family was supportive, Nikita’s family took a while to accept their daughter, but they did. The two married after they finished school and, three months after their marriage, Lucile started her own photography business while Nikita became a make-up artist for movies and TV-shows.

“The press are vultures and will strike out whenever they feel like it,” Lucile quipped in anger. “It’s one of the reasons why we got away from their attention.” Lucile was the youngest of her sisters, but she didn’t revel in the spotlight as her sisters did. She preferred to stay out of it whenever possible. So, when they adopted Alicia, they wanted to keep her from the spotlight as much as possible. It helped that they took Nikita’s last name, Asari, instead of Anderson.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Ellie pressed, looking at her family.

Nikita’s onyx eyes met Ellie’s and she pushed a strand of her long black hair behind her ear. “You’ve heard the news, right?”

Ellie crossed her arms in annoyance. “It’s hard to forget when you were there when the news spread about your supposed scandal with another man.”

“You didn’t hear?” Lucile asked, her brown eyes wide then glanced over to Natalia, her chin-length chestnut hair swishing. “You didn’t tell her?”

“Tell me what?”

Natalia glared at her sister. “It’s hard to find the right moment to tell her as it is.”

“Tell me what?!” Ellie urged, growing annoyed with what they were keeping from her.

“The scandal isn’t the only thing that was published about you,” Alicia started, wringing her hands together. “Well, technically the first one wasn’t about you, but it did feature your name even though I was in the picture and-”

“Alicia,” Lucile gently said which caused her daughter to stop rambling and look Ellie in the eyes, her chocolate eyes filled with sadness.

“Alicia, what’s wrong?” Ellie asked.

“There was an article published a few minutes before the article of your scandal. This one was about a possible engagement between you and a businessman in Italy.”

Ellie’s eyes widened at the news before glancing at her mother, searching for the truth in this. Natalia only nodded her head which caused Ellie to panic. Not only was there this scandal to worry about, but now they were saying she might be engaged?!

“I thought I was being careful, but I guess someone saw me with this man and they got pictures and I didn’t mean to put this on you or anything and I know you told me to be careful and all and I swear I was but-”

Lucile stood up and walked over to her daughter, pulling her into a hug. “Shh, it’s ok.” She stroked her hair. “It’s ok.”

Ellie walked up and laid a hand on Alicia’s back, rubbing her hand up and down to soothe her. She gave her a reassuring smile. “I don’t blame you, Alicia. I know you, and I know you didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Alicia sniffed, rubbing her eyes. “You promise you’re not mad?”

Ellie smiled then opened her arms and her cousin left her mother’s arms to go into Ellie’s. “I promise.” She hugged her cousin tight. “But I do want to hear more about this man you’ve been seeing,” she whispered, chuckling at Alicia’s surprised squeak. The two separated and Ellie turned to her mom. “What now?”

“That’s what you’re Grandma is here for,” Natalia answered. “She has a plan for all of this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest of Ellie's family will be introduced in the next chapter and...well, just be prepared for...issues. (Nervous chuckle).


	2. Drama, Gossip, and Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> High tensions between Ellie's aunts lead to an unpleasant outcome. Cousins gossip amongst each other as well as planning for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This chapter took way longer than I anticipated! I'm so sorry for not coming back to this for almost two months! There was a lot of revising and editing and all that craziness that comes with writing. Anyways, enough of me giving excuses as to why this took so long. Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: there are some mentions of homophobia in this chapter. I do apologize if this offends anyone. (Part of the reason it took me so long to write this).

Ellie could only stare at her mother in confusion, wondering what her grandmother had planned. There was no way her grandmother could have a plan already, but this was Clarissa Anderson, the one who could come up with a plan in any situation. Give her a few hours on a crisis and she’ll have a plan of action. It’s one of the reasons the people of Valtoria loved her. She was always two steps ahead before anyone else could panic. “What is the plan?” Ellie asked.

“All in good time, my dear,” a voice announced, and everyone turned to the door where her grandmother walked in, wearing her signature deep maroon dress. Clarissa Anderson, or the Dowager Duchess as some refer to her as was a force to be reckoned with. She was born to rule and Ellie thought in another life, her grandmother would be the queen of a country. She took her title as Grand Duchess seriously and helped her grandfather out when necessary. She also wasn’t shy to voice her opinion; she would let you know the truth whether you wanted to hear it or not. It’s one of the reasons her grandmother and Abuela got along so well when they first met.

Ellie smiled as she walked up to Clarissa. “Hello, Grandmother.” They kissed each other’s cheeks in greeting.

“Ohh, look at you,” Clarissa cooed, a soft smile on her face. “My beautiful granddaughter.” She eyed Ellie’s hair and raised an eyebrow. “With changes, I see.”

Ellie nodded, a faint blush forming on her cheeks as she brushed a strand behind her ear. “Um…Aunt Lena convinced me to dye it.”

Clarissa hummed. “At least you didn’t dye it a completely different color. I don’t know if I could handle you with those crazy colors those kids are doing. Who puts purple hair on their child?”

“Careful, Clarissa,” Nikita commented, smirking. “Don’t give me any ideas.” 

Clarissa huffed then glanced over at Alicia and nodded towards her. Alicia nodded back in greeting as she clasped her hands in front of her. “Thank you for letting me stay with you, ma’am.”

“Oh, enough of that.” Clarissa waved her off. “I think we’ve known we each other well enough to speak on a first-name basis, correct?”

“Yes, ma-Clarissa.”

“Good. Now, I think it’s time we journey to the dining room.” She turned to Natalia. “Your sister-in-law is giving me a headache with all her complaining. I don’t understand why my son married that woman. I never liked her to begin with.”

Natalia shrugged. “I don’t understand either, Clarissa. I still can’t believe she was a suitor for Lawrence.”

“My husband wasn’t the brightest when it came to women and he still isn’t.” Clarissa sighed. “I’m still surprised we’re both still alive. I was certain one of us was going to kill the other in retirement.”

“You’re not serious, Grandma,” Ellie stated in disbelief. “I can’t imagine you and Grandpa going at each other’s throats.”

Clarissa glanced over towards her and smirked. “Not everything is as it seems, my dear. But it is good my husband sees I’m right…most of the time.” She winked then gestured towards the door. “Now, let’s head into the dining room.” She headed out of the door and everyone followed her out of the library and across the hall into the dining room.

The rest of her family were talking amongst themselves, but it stilled when they walked into the room. Ellie saw her Aunt Klara glancing back and forth between Nikita and the other woman in the room. This woman was the vain of the family. Evelyn was her name and, when Ellie’s father was looking for a bride, she was recommended by his father, Lewis, since she came from a respectable family. However, the family was very judgmental of others, especially if they were from a lower-class. Evelyn was the worst out of her family, being a huge bully to everyone who was below her.

Lawrence immediately cast her aside after learning of her poor attitude, but that didn’t shut Evelyn up as she constantly complained afterward and talked badly of Natalia after he picked her. But his brother, Leonard, became smitten with Evelyn, saying he loved her candor attitude and the two got married a few months after Lawrence and Natalia’s marriage. Evelyn became the head-figure in the relationship and Leonard let her walk all over him, getting whatever she wanted and he never said no. She became civil, or as civil as possible, with the rest of the family, but not with Nikita and Lucile. She is not very supportive of the two, especially with their chosen lifestyle.

“What are you two doing here?” Evelyn questioned, fixing her glare on Nikita. “I thought you would be doing whatever Asian activity you do.”

“I’m here to support my niece, Evelyn,” Nikita spat out, hardening her gaze. “Unlike you, manko.”

Ellie bristled at the not too kind word Nikita just used, but she wasn’t going to defend her actions. Her aunt was a terrible person that she made Olivia seem tame.

Lucile laid a hand on Nikita’s shoulder. “Please, let’s not fight. We’re here to support Emilia.”

“I agree,” a gruff voice stated. An elderly man walked over to stand beside Clarissa, leaning most of his weight against his cane. Wait, his cane?!

“Grandfather, are you ok?” Ellie asked, raising her eyes from the cane to his face, searching his eyes for an answer.

He smiled softly at her. “I’m ok, my dear. Just the signs of me getting older.”

“His right knee has been giving out on him recently. The doctor recommended a walker, but your grandfather is too proudful of that.” Clarissa glared over at him. “Luckily, we convinced him to use a cane.”

“It’s called a walking stick, darling, not a cane.”

“I’m pretty sure a walking stick is an actual stick, not a fancy, polished piece of wood with an elegant handle, dear.”

Her grandfather sighed then glanced over at Evelyn and Nikita, glaring at each one. “As I said, I agree with Lucile. We will not have any arguments coming from you two. Let’s get through one dinner without lashing tongues at each other.”

The two women were silent before Nikita agreed followed by a curt nod from Evelyn. Ellie only sighed, knowing it won’t last long. _Let’s see how long this goes._

The family then sat down at their assigned seats. Her mother and father sat in the middle of the table with her grandma on her dad’s left and her grandfather on her mom’s right. Ellie sat on the left end of the table with Victor on her left and her Uncle William on her right. “It’s really good to see you again, Emilia,” her uncle started, a soft smile on his face. “It’s been too long.”

“I agree, Uncle Will. How is your business doing?”

“Good. We merged with another lodge in Lythikos and it’s been booming.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “Wow, I’m surprised you were able to make a deal with the Scarlet Duchess.”

William smirked. “It pays to have your darling wife as a writer for Vogue as well as a brother-in-law to the Grand Duchess.” He winked which caused Ellie to let out a soft chuckle. Her uncle started working at a casino as an administrative assistant with a bachelor’s degree in Business. After a few years, he got his Master’s in the same field then started working his way to the top. Now, he is president of her father’s casino in Valtoria, working alongside him and helping him with the business.

Conversation filtered through the room as the first course was brought in. Everyone was catching up with each other, asking about their lives and whatnot. No one mentioned the social season or Cordonia which Ellie was grateful for. However, she was surprised by how civil Evelyn and Nikita were being. They would be throwing insults at each by now, but they had not once since dinner began even look at the other. She thought that this wouldn’t last but as dinner was eaten and dessert rolled in, neither had yet to say one word to each other. Ellie leaned towards Victor. “Your mom is surprising me,” she whispered. “I thought she would have said something by now.”

“I know, I’m surprised by that, too,” stated Victor, eyeing his mom.

“Alicia, you haven’t mentioned your trip,” Klara started, turning to her niece. “I do hope it was fun.”

“It was, Aunt Klara,” Alicia answered, a wide smile on her face. “I went to so many different countries and met a lot of people. I even got to see my mom’s family in Japan!”

“And how are they doing?”

“Well, but grandma is upset I can’t visit her more often. She says mom keeps me hidden too much.”

Nikita let out a snort of disbelief. “I’ve told my mother she can come to visit anytime she wants. I have _not_ kept you hidden.” 

“Maybe she doesn’t want to see Lucile,” Evelyn said, taking a sip of her wine.

Nikita glared at Evelyn, but Lucile stepped in before her wife could say anything. “I’m glad she’s ok. Did you do any fun activities while you were there?”

“We did a lot of sight-seeing and we had a spa day. Oh, we also got to see the cherry blossoms bloom!”

A collection of ‘oh’s’ echoed around the table as Charlie let out a huff. “Lucky. I’ve always wanted to go.”

Klara cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look while William turned to his son. “Really? I’ve never heard you mention that before.”

“They’re a sight to behold, and I’ve always wanted to sketch them. I bet they are beautiful in the sunrise and sunset.”

Alicia glanced at him and smiled. “I took pictures of the festival. I can show you the pictures if you want so you have a reference if you want to paint them.”

Charlie smiled and then nodded.

“Sounds like you had a lot of fun,” Evelyn commented. “But I guess you had too much fun if you got caught with a man who, I’m sure, thinks you’re a Countess.” She chuckled harshly, swirling her wine around her glass. “But I am surprised you caught a man, given your parents’ background.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Nikita asked, her hand clenching around her glass.

“The way you two act, she would have followed your choice of…lifestyle. I thought she would have caught that from you two.”

“Evelyn,” Leonard gently whispered as everyone else kept on glancing between the two. Ellie saw how her mother and Aunt Klara were seething in their seats as they glared at Evelyn while Lucile was trying to calm her wife down. Evelyn only shrugged, taking a sip of her wine. “You never know about those types of people. They can spread around their beliefs to their children and corrupt them. I’m lucky Victor hasn't caught anything from you from how he hangs around your daughter so much.”

Victor flinched beside Ellie who reached over and laid a hand on his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She noticed tears welling up in Victor’s eyes and she clenched her jaw in anger. God, this woman can never shut up, can she?

Nikita stood up from her chair, rocketing the glassware on the table. Evelyn only stared at Nikita with an eyebrow raised then _smirked_. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I strike a nerve? Or are you upset you couldn’t get your daughter to follow your ways?”

“At least I let my daughter experiment on her own. You won’t let your son do what he wants!”

“I’m raising my son to be a proper gentleman.” Evelyne eyed Alicia then shrugged. “I can’t say anything about your half-breed.”

“You fucking bitch!” Nikita screeched as she grabbed her knife then started to run towards Evelyn. Lucile cried out and reached for her wife, holding her back as voices raised all around the table. Evelyn stood up as she moved to stand behind her husband while William moved to stand between them. Klara and Lucile grabbed Nikita and held her back, trying to calm her down while said woman struggled their grasp.

In the chaos, Victor slipped out of his seat and out of the dining room. Ellie glanced at her cousins, giving them a knowing look, before leaving her seat to follow Victor. She caught him in the foyer where he was sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands. As Ellie got closer, she noticed his shoulders were shaking and she could hear muffled sobs coming from him. Her heart went out to him as she sat beside him then brought him into her arms, rubbing her hand up and down his back which only made him cry harder. Ellie gently consoled him then pressed a kiss on top of his head.

“Why is my mother so cruel?” Victor choked out.

“I don’t know, Vic. I really don’t know.” Ellie held him tighter then glanced over as she saw the rest of her cousins walk over. Alicia sat on the other side of Victor and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder. Charlie knelt and placed a hand on Victor’s knee while Oscar remained standing. “They’re still arguing in there, but Aunt Lucile managed to get the knife out of Aunt Nikita’s hand.”

“I’m sorry,” Vic sniffled.

“Don’t apologize,” Alicia gently said. “Remember the promise we made? About not holding our parents’ actions against each other?”

Victor nodded. “We said whatever our parents said or did would not reflect on ourselves and that we wouldn’t judge each other for it.”

“That’s right. So, don’t apologize for what your mother said. She was the one who said those awful things, not you.”

Victor moved around in their embrace to face Alicia and hugged her tight. Alicia laid her head on Victor’s as she held him, gently rocking him back and forth. Ellie smiled at the two then said, “How about we go upstairs to my room and just chill? We can re-watch that ice skating anime you love.”

“We can order room service as well!” Oscar declared. “Have ice cream sundaes!”

“We just ate dinner,” Charlie reminded.

“We can have sundaes later,” compromised Ellie. “I have a feeling our family’s going to be at it for a while.”

The cousins all headed upstairs towards Ellie’s room where she went towards her TV to set up everything. Alicia sat on the bed while the boys grabbed bean bags and placed them in front of the bed. Ellie walked over and plopped down next to Alicia, remote in her hand as she pressed play. The first scene started running as they watched the main character monologue about his recent failure at his latest skating routine.

“It’s kind of ironic how you and the other main character have the same name,” Alicia commented. “Both of you are famous skaters and have won many gold medals.”

“I’m still surprised your mom hasn’t caught on to the fact you are a famous ice skater,” Charlie said, glancing over at him. “You started competing what? Four years ago?”

“Yeah, but my mom doesn’t follow any sports nor do any of her friends. All they care about is gossip within the court and all that jazz. Plus, I’m not using my last name when I perform. Remember, in the staking world, I’m Viktor Richards, not Victor Anderson. I’m not too worried that she’ll found out about that, but more so about Matthew.”

Ellie turned to him. “How are you two doing?”

“We’re good. We’re celebrating three years next month.”

The girls awed as the twins patted Victor on the back. Victor blushed bright red at the praise, bringing his legs up to his chest. Victor had met Matthew after a skating routine in New York, and the two hit it off. They became really good friends, both finding out that the other was gay. Then, on Victor’s eighteenth birthday, Matthew asked him out and the two have been dating ever since. “Thanks, but…I worry how Mom’s going to react when she finds out. She’s not accepting of gay people.”

Ellie laid a hand on Victor’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Remember, you still have family to come to if she doesn’t accept. As long as Matthew makes you happy, that’s all you should care about, right?”

“Yeah.” Victor turned to her and smiled. “Thanks.”

Ellie turned back to the show, her thoughts focusing on her cousin. She remembered when he first came out to her about his sexuality. It was right before Ellie was to go to New York for college. He had asked to talk with her privately and, when they went to her room, he admitted that he liked boys instead of girls. Ellie was surprised at first, but she accepted him which made Victor burst into tears. With listening to his mother’s views on homosexuality, Victor thought they would rub off on his cousins. Ellie was able to convince him to tell the rest of their cousins, who accepted him when they heard the news. That’s also when Alicia and Victor made their promise not to blame the other for what their parents said to each other. No one else in the family knew about Victor’s sexuality and the cousins swore to Victor they wouldn’t tell anyone.

“I still can’t believe you two have been together for three years already. Are you two doing anything special?”

“Don’t know yet. Of course, Matthew might have already planned a surprise for us so I’m not entirely sure.”

“Well, you have to tell us everything once the day hits,” Ellie demanded, smirking. “We deserve to know what happens.”

Charlie and Oscar shook their heads. “Spare us the romantic details, thank you,” said Oscar.

Alicia scoffed. “Oh please, I think you _need_ the details to catch a woman.”

“Excuse you, but the ladies can’t get enough of this.” Oscar gestured to himself with a prideful smirk on his face. Charlie raised an eyebrow at his brother and said, “Really? Then how come you haven’t caught one yet?”

“You should talk, Mr. She’s-Not-The-One. Seriously, how many girls have asked you out, but you’ve turned them down? Do you know how many of those girls come to me after being rejected by you?”

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t feel a spark when I talk with them. I don’t want some one-night stand, and that’s what those girls want.”

Ellie smiled at the twins before turning to Alicia. “And what of you? Who is this mysterious man you’ve been hanging out with in Italy?”

Alicia blushed, bringing her legs towards her chest. “He’s…he’s a friend.”

“Uh-huh, sure.” Victor turned around and planted his elbows on the bed then rested his head on his hands. “Last time we talked, you didn’t refer to him as sexy Enzo.”

“Vic!” Alicia whispered shrieked, her blush quickly spreading across her face. “I told you that in private!”

“Sounds like someone’s got a crush~” Ellie sang, chuckling as her cousin buried her face in her knees, letting out a muffled scream. “Sorry, Alicia, but seriously, I need to know more details about this guy.”

Alicia peeked over at her, letting out a deep sigh. “We met one day in a coffee shop. We started talking and hanging out, but we haven’t progressed from there.”

“What about this scandal?” Charlie questioned. “Is that going to affect you two going forward?”

“We talked about it when it first came out, and we agreed not to say anything yet. Before you ask, he knows my real identity and I said I was going to talk with you before I agreed to anything.” She met Ellie’s gaze. “We promised we weren’t going to let these rumors spread about you without first talking it over.”

Ellie nodded. “We’ll have to see what Grandma has planned.”

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Ellie glanced over as it opened and Bianca stepped in. “My apologies, my lady, but the Dowager Duchess wishes to speak with both you and Lady Alicia.”

“Speak of the devil,” Oscar mumbled which earned him a slap upside the head from Ellie.

“You three can continue watching the show. We’ll be back.”

“With ice cream,” Alicia added with a smile. “I think we’re all going to need it after the night we’ve had.”

Ellie nodded in agreement as she and Alicia followed Bianca out of the room and downstairs into the lounge. There sat her mother, her two aunts, and Clarissa with tea set out on the table next to the four and each had a teacup in hand. Ellie glanced over at Nikita and, apart from her hair being a bit frizzy, didn’t see any marks on her. She wondered how Evelyn fared but decided she didn’t care enough to wonder. She deserved it.

“You wished to speak with us, Grandmother,” Ellie started.

“Yes, I’d like to inform you of the plan I had while letting your mothers know as well.”

“What about Father?”

“He is currently dealing with your uncle after that fiasco at dinner. Now,” Clarissa started, setting her teacup aside as she looked at Ellie and Alicia. “We’ve all seen the news articles everyone’s been reading about your two lives, Emilia. Now, if we were to release the information that you are both Emilia and Ellie, the press would have a field day smearing your name with a possible engagement _and_ having an affair.” Her grandmother held up her hand to silence Ellie from speaking. “Doing this would cause more harm than good so I believe the best course of action is to keep the two identities separate for now. Until we can figure out what is going on behind these two stories, Emilia will remain as Ellie and Alicia will be Emilia.”

Natalia stared at her mother-in-law in disbelief while Lucile and Nikita were gobsmacked. Nikita snapped out of her stupor first as she sat up from her seat, glaring at Clarissa. “You want my daughter to face those…those…people! They will eat her up alive!”

“Nikita,” Lucile gently chimed, reaching out to grab her hand. “Alicia has acted as Emilia for the past seven years, and it was fine.”

“That’s because no one knew. It was never announced, never publicized that she would be going on this trip. If the press did find out, no one knew where she was which was good. And now, with this scandal above her head, you want her to continue this on?! She won’t be able to handle the pressure!” 

“How would you know?” Clarissa calmly asked, staring at Nikita. “Ever since she was young, you two have kept her away from the press and never exposed her to it. While I understand the reason why it was a stupid decision on your part.”

“Clarissa-” Natalia began but Clarissa cut her off. “What would have happened if Alicia went into the spotlight. She would have no way to defend herself or even know how to act to it all. You’ve spent too much time babying her, not letting her experience the unknown for herself.” She hardened her stare. “You and Evelyn are the same.”

“I’m nothing like that racist woman, you scheming bitch!”

“Nikita!” Lucile gasped in horror, but Clarissa only stared at Nikita, a slight smirk on her face. “I’ve been called worse.”

Ellie gaped at her grandmother, wondering what other words she’s being called in her lifetime. _Maybe it’s best I never know,_ her mind told her.

“I have to agree with her,” Natalia started after a moment of silence, turning to her sister and sister-in-law. “After I became the Grand Duchess, you disappeared off the face of the Earth. I remembered the press asking if you two were dead.” She turned to her sister who was looking at the ground. “When we were all in fashion together, you were fine with the press whenever we attended shows and everything. Did something happen?”

Lucile let out a shaky breath as she looked up at Natalia, eyes wet with unshed tears. “I couldn’t handle it, after Nikita and I started dating.”

“Handle what?”

“The press. They never said anything to me, but I saw articles and blogs about my choices and…and my sexuality and I just couldn’t…” Lucile stopped to close her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Nikita sat back down and held her wife close, whispering reassurances as she rubbed her hand up and down her arm. Lucile leaned into her touch then opened her eyes. “When we talked about adopting, I didn’t want to put our child through all of that, so we decided to stay low.

Clarissa sighed, her face stoic but Ellie could see a hint of sadness in her eyes. “While I understand your reasoning behind all this, it doesn’t excuse you for shielding her from all this. Criticism from others is a part of life, especially when you’re rich. You need to learn to brush those hateful and judgmental comments away.”

Nikita snapped to her, her gaze harsh. “You say that like it’s easy to do.”

“I didn’t say it was easy. Over time, you must learn that the opinion of strangers, much less the press, should not deter you from moving forward in life. You can’t appease everyone, and you shouldn’t defend yourself against those two-timing snakes! You need to stand up tall and show all those bitches what it means to be an Anderson!”

Ellie smiled, holding back a laugh at her grandmother’s speech. Alicia giggled softly then leaned in and whispered, “I can understand why our grandmothers get along so well.” Ellie nodded in confirmation.

“Asari, Clarissa,” Natalia reminded.

“What?” she turned to her, eyebrow raised. “What did I say?”

“You said Anderson. Their last name is Asari, not Anderson.”

Clarissa nodded. “That’s what I meant.” She turned back to the two wives. “And if your mother was here, she would tell you the same thing. Besides,” she glanced at Alicia and smiled, “Your daughter was doing fine the past seven years despite her criticism.”

“What?” Lucile and Nikita turned towards Alicia who nodded in confirmation. “It’s true. I caught a few snippets of articles written about myself or, well, Emilia, and some weren’t flattering. I didn’t think anything of it for I didn’t have to address it.”

“But you will have to do if you do this,” Lucile spoke up, staring at her daughter worriedly. “Could you do it?”

Natalia hummed. “Yes, that is true. You didn’t talk with the press since no one knew where you were. But now that people know you have returned and you will be playing Emilia’s role, they may ask you questions you may not be comfortable answering.”

“Couldn’t I just ignore them?” Alicia asked.

“You can at first, but it may snowball if you keep ignoring them. We can at least say that since you haven’t interacted with the press in the past seven years that you are a bit overwhelmed, but that won’t work forever.”

“Yes, quite right,” agreed Clarissa. “Especially since Emilia has had years of experience when it comes to the press.”

“But I was still a bit rusty when I came back,” Ellie explained. “I mean, I still remembered most of what I was told, but it helped that I got some tips from…that’s it!” Everyone stared at Ellie, wondering what got her so excited all of sudden. Ellie turned to Alicia with a wide smile. “I know who can help us. They were very good helping me get back on my feet during the social season.”

“The Beaumonts?” Natalia arched an eyebrow. “Honey, I don’t understand what you…” she trailed off as she realized what her daughter was planning. “Oh, I see now. Do you think they’ll agree?”

Ellie nodded. “They will, especially if I’m going back to being Ellie Smith who was sponsored by the Beaumonts. And I still have to be at court to…support…Madeleine…” She let out a deep sigh as she realized she was going to face Liam again. She didn’t know if she was ready to face him.

Alicia reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. She gave her a reassuring smile which Ellie returned then turned to face her aunts. “Bertrand Beaumont can give Alicia a crash-course on handling the press so she can be prepared when she goes into court. She will not be alone in this, I promise.”

Nikita’s mouth was set in a hard line, unsure about the whole thing. She looked everyone in the eyes, gauging for some reaction out of them, before turning to her daughter. “Are you absolutely sure you will be comfortable going through with this?”

Alicia took a deep breath then nodded. “Yes. As Emilia said, I won’t be alone in this. Aunt Natalia and Uncle Lawrence will be with me. I’ll be fine.”

“Ok,” Lucile nodded. “You’re right. You can do this.” She smiled at her daughter. “I believe in you.”

“If your mom is ok with this, then so am I.”

“Good, now that, that’s settled,” Clarissa turned to Ellie, “You need to get a hold of the Beaumonts and invite them over.”

Ellie nodded then took out her phone, glancing through her contacts. Maxwell had put his contact info in her phone the night after the Masquerade so they could keep in touch, but it was mostly just him sending her funny videos or inspirational messages. They were a nice refresher and took her mind off court for a moment or two. Now, they were filled with messages asking her if she was ok and where she was. She hadn’t checked her phone at all since that night, and she was surprised at the number of texts she received from him, reading all of them.

**Maxwell (9:55pm): Ellie!! Are you ok??!! Let me know!!!**

**Maxwell (10:15pm): We got out of security and we’re on our way to the airport to get you! We won’t let you leave!!!**

**Maxwell (10:25pm): You didn’t get on the plane, did you?! Ellie, please answer me!!**

**Maxwell (10:30pm): Are you going back to New York?**

**Maxwell (12:00am): Let me know if you’re safe, please.**

**Maxwell (3:45am): Are you mad? Is that why you’re not answering? I know it sounds bad, but we can fix this. Just…text me…please.**

**Maxwell (9:14am): I’m sorry.**

Ellie blinked back tears as she read all his messages. He really didn’t think she was mad at him…right? She could never be mad at Maxwell, especially since he reminded her a lot of Oscar. Well…a more hyper version of Oscar. She immediately sent out a text.

**Me (7:23pm): Hey, Maxwell. Sorry for not responding, but I promise I’m ok. I’m not mad, but I just needed some time to think.**

**Maxwell (7:25pm): Ellie!!! I’m so glad you’re ok!!! Where are you???!!! Are you back in New York????**

**Me (7:30pm): It’s hard to explain, but I’m not in New York. I’m in Valtoria and I want you and Bertrand to come to the address I’ll give you. I’ll explain everything then.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that was a lot! We'll be getting back to our beloved characters soon enough with the Beaumonts coming in first. How do you think they'll take the news?🤔 Let me know your thoughts! All constructive criticism is appreciated as well as kind words and gestures.😊 
> 
> Also, if you want to check my updating schedule for this or future stories I plan to do, check out my Tumblr at fandomwriter31! Plan for this one is every 2 weeks. Thanks so much!


	3. Planning and Returning to Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie reveals the truth to the Beaumonts and discuss the plan with her and Alicia going forward. She returns to court, finding fewer friends than when she first arrived and learns the truth from Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October kicked me in the but in terms of writing! Hopefully, November will be better for me. Also, in case there was any confusion, Alicia did pretend to be Emilia while Ellie was away and now, she will continue to do so until Ellie clears her name. If there is still any confusion, feel free to ask in the comments or on my [Tumblr](http://fandomwriter31.tumblr.com/)

Ellie sat on the ledge of the windowsill, watching the streets for the Beaumont’s car to pull up. She gave them the time to come over and it was nearing it. She was happy to see familiar faces again, but also nervous at revealing the news to the brothers. She could only imagine their reactions; she was pretty sure Bertrand would have a stroke.

“You might want to stop staring at the driveway like you think it’s going to explode any minute.”

Ellie jumped then turned to Lucile then let out a sigh. “Sorry, just nervous.”

“You’ll be fine,” she reassured, sitting next to her niece and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Besides, Nikita will throw them out if they say one bad thing to you.”

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

Lucile only shrugged then turned to the window. “They’re here.”

Ellie glanced over to see the familiar limo pull up and Maxwell hopped out before the limo came to a stop followed by Bertrand soon after. She took a deep breath then let it out, getting up from her spot. _You can do this, it’ll be ok,_ her mind repeated as she walked over to the door. The only good thing is she decided to have the meeting at her aunt’s house instead of her duchy. She didn’t want to overwhelm them by inviting them to the Grand Duchy’s house and decided to still meet in Valtoria, but in a more neutral place.

An insistent knocking came at the door which made Ellie chuckle as she opened it only to be knocked back as Maxwell ran into her. “Ellie! I’m so glad to see you again!” He exclaimed as he hugged her tight.

Ellie was stunned for a moment then returned his hug, a smile spreading across her face. She glanced over to see Bertrand standing in the threshold with his hands behind his back. She patted Maxwell’s back then pulled away. “I’m surprised you two came. I would have thought you would have rejected my calling given the rumors.” _Great way to greet them, Ellie. Not, ‘hi, I’ve missed you,’ or whatnot._

“Of course, we came! We wouldn’t leave you nor let you leave! We still believe in you!” Maxwell turned to his brother. “Isn’t that right?”

Bertrand was quiet, staring at her before asking, “Just tell me…is it true? That you’ve been carrying on a romantic relationship with Tariq?"

Before Ellie could answer, Maxwell beat her to it. “No, it’s not true! This isn’t Ellie’s fault!”

“Hush, Maxwell. I want to hear it from her.”

“As if I would ever be with a prick like him,” Ellie spat, her anger flaring at what that bastard almost did to her.

“Then you were set up, and I have no criticism of how you handled yourself. However, you didn’t let us know that you would be in Valtoria instead of the airport.”

 _Here we go._ “I know, and I need to tell you guys something.” She led them into the living room then gestured to the cushioned chairs, but the brothers both remained standing. “You may want to sit down.”

“Is it serious?” Maxwell asked, his face falling slightly.

“Probably not what you’re thinking, but it’s nothing bad. It’s more about my…identity.”

Bertrand arched an eyebrow. “Your identity?”

“Yeah. You see,” Ellie fidgeted in her spot as she wrung her hands together. “I haven’t told you the whole truth about myself during the social season. And before you ask, Liam already knows the truth.” She saw Bertrand relax slightly before his face grew stern. “You mean to tell me that we’ve been lying to the King about yourself.”

“Only slightly.” Ellie took a deep breath then let it out. “I’ve only been pretending to be a different person to see how my odds faired for pretending to be a commoner and seeing who I can trust if I was chosen.”

“Are you saying you are from a noble house in Valtoria?” Bertrand asked.

“Yes.”

Maxwell’s eyes widened slightly. “Wow! I can’t believe you’re from a noble house here!”

“I agree, but I don’t know any houses with the last name ‘Smith’ living here.”

“That’s because there aren’t. My real name isn’t Ellie Smith.” She stared at each brother in the eye as she straightened, hands clasped in front of her. “I’m Countess Emilia Anderson, daughter of Grand Duke Lawrence and Grand Duchess Natalia.”

The brothers were silent as they processed this information, neither saying anything before their facial expressions changed to gobsmacked with Bertrand’s face paling. He slowly lowered himself onto a chair, staring straight ahead. Maxwell was uncharacteristically quiet as he only stared at Ellie with wide eyes and gaping jaw. As the silence grew, Ellie became worried when neither brother spoke for a bit. Just as she was about to ask if they were ok, Maxwell spoke first, “Really?”

She nodded and that action snapped Bertrand out of his stupor, his eyes widening. “Oh, dear God, I referred to you as nothing more than a peasant and-” Horror crossed his features. “I said it was a good thing you weren’t there for the social season. Oh, God!”

“Bertrand, it’s ok,” Ellie reassured, offering him a smile. “You didn’t know, but what you did say probably confirmed my suspicions if I went in as myself. I did this to see who I could trust, and if Liam truly loved me for me.”

“But, if Liam knew your real identity, why didn’t he pick you?” Maxwell asked.

Ellie sighed then shrugged, her smile fading. “Part of me thinks it has something to do with the scandal involving Tariq, but I’m not entirely sure. But, now with this other scandal on my head-”

“Other? What other?”

Bertrand’s eyes widened again, and Ellie swore they were going to pop out of his head if they got any bigger. “The one involving the Italian man and yourself?”

“Yes, but before I explain, I need to introduce you to someone.” Ellie walked over to an entranceway and peered in. “Alicia?”

“Coming.”

Her cousin walked in and they both made their way over to the brothers. “This is my cousin, Alicia, and she has been pretending to be me the past few years I’ve been away. My parents only said that I was traveling the world but didn’t say where I was going. Everyone speculated where I was, but no clues were given out until someone spotted my cousin with a man and claimed her to be me. With such radio silence on my end, most believed the story and it spread so fast my parents didn’t have time to react. It also didn’t help that my scandal with Tariq came out around the same time.”

“How are you going forward with all this?” Bertrand asked, rising from his seat. “I’d imagine you’re not revealing your identity with everything written about yourself.”

“No, I’m not. My family decided that we’ll keep the identities separate and that my cousin will still pretend to be me which is why I invited you over.” Ellie laid a hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “Alicia needs help in learning everything about court life, and I know you, Bertrand, are the best person that can give her the teaching she needs.”

“I’m a fast learner so I won’t take up too much of your time, Your Grace,” Alicia said then added a small curtsy. “I would greatly appreciate it if you helped me with this.”

Bertrand smiled brightly and Ellie could see she had boosted his ego quite a bit. He then nodded towards Ellie. “It would be my honor, My Lady.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you, Bertrand. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course! We’re going to fight this.” He even his gaze, a look of determination crossing his features. “No one smears the name of House Beaumont.”

Ellie smiled, thinking back to when Bertrand was angry at whoever sent the letter to her, claiming her to be part of his household. It touched her that he thought of her as an honorary member, and she knew she will do everything to make sure her two brother-figures won’t get any backlash for sponsoring her. Whoever set this up was going to pay.

Alicia then spoke up. “I do have a question. What happens after we solve everything, and your name is cleared? Not to open old wounds, but didn’t Prince Liam choose Lady Madeleine?”

“ _King_ Liam chose Madeleine, but nothing is set in stone. There’s still a chance for Emilia to be with him, as there’s a constitutional provision that states the King can change his selection in specific cases for the good of the nation. It hasn’t been invoked in a hundred years, but there is precedence. But the more important matter is that nefarious forces are plotting against you.” Bertrand turned to Ellie. “We must resolve this scheme against you at once. House Beaumont will still stand by you to the bitter end, My Lady.”

“And the sweet end, too!” Maxwell chimed in.

Ellie chuckled then reached out and clasped Bertrand’s hand, squeezing it. “Thank you, for everything you did to help me through the social season. You too, Maxwell,” She turned to him and smiled. “You both were very helpful. Now, I believe we should get started.”

“Indeed.” Bertrand turned to Alicia and eyed her. “We do have our work cut out for us, and we need to get Lady Alicia prepared before the engagement party at Madeleine’s estate.” A proud smile spread across his face as he turned back to Ellie. “By the time I’m done, she will be ready for anything.”

For the next few weeks, Bertrand gave Alicia a crash course in everything about courtly life, from mannerisms to posture, and even the intricates of silverware placement. Ellie chimed in when appropriate, helping her cousin out when needed. She noticed that Bertrand seemed more patient with Alicia than with her, but that could be because she was of high nobility and didn’t want to upset her by upsetting her cousin. It did irk her at first, but she quickly threw that thought from her mind, thankful that Bertrand was being considerate and not scolding Alicia for making a mistake. He was making an effort by holding back a tongue lashing, so it was an improvement.

As the training went on, Maxwell caught her up to speed on what’s been going since she went into hiding. The day after the news articles came out, it was all everyone could talk about. Many were shocked to hear her “affair” with Tariq, wondering what her motives were and everything. But the story started to die off with Liam’s coronation, his ascension to becoming King of Cordonia. All the news outlets covered the day, and not a single station in Valtoria was missing out on this event. Ellie watched the event with mixed feelings from being happy for Liam to sad that she couldn’t be there to anger at seeing Madeleine there. But what shocked her that day was when reporters asked her parents why their daughter wasn’t in attendance. Her mother was able to calmly state that her daughter had returned home early this morning and she was too tired from her trip to attend. She said her daughter wishes the best for King Liam, and she was looking forward to congratulating the King and his fiancé in person in the coming weeks. After her mother’s comment, more stories about herself spread like wildfire, most wondering how she’ll return to court and if she’ll continue to support King Liam and Countess Madeleine.

Ellie turned away from the news after that, not wanting to focus all her attention on it. Instead, she wondered how everyone else was doing. She wondered if Hana got sent back home if Liam was thinking of her, even if Drake wondered if she was ok. She wondered if all the friends and allies she made in court would still be there for her when she came back. She had thought about contacting some people, but Bertrand thought against it, telling her that she had to stay in the dark. They had no idea who put this up to her so, in order to be safe, communication only had to be done face-to-face. Her parents agreed with Bertrand, stating it was better to be safe than sorry. While Ellie didn’t like that idea at all, she listened and didn’t bother with communicating with anyone, no matter how much it hurt her not to hear anything from her friends. At least she still had the Beaumonts and her family to keep her sane for the time being.

Within a few weeks, the lessons Alicia had were finished and Ellie once again moved back in with the Beaumonts, preparing to return as Ellie Smith. She had reminded the brothers that, going forward, to continue treating her as a commoner and not as nobility. She knew it would be hard for Bertrand to do, but she didn’t want anyone to suspect something was amiss. She had to reassure Bertrand that her father would not castrate him if he said anything improper towards her. Once she moved back with the brothers, she was no longer Emilia Anderson and she would not be until her name was cleared…however long that will take.

After a week at being at the Beaumonts, the trio headed over to Madeleine’s estate to celebrate her engagement to Liam, an event Ellie would dread the whole day. As the limo drove to Fydelia, Ellie wondered what would greet her when she got there. Everything and anything ran through her mind, all coming to the same conclusion that Madeleine would no doubt be rubbing it in her face that she was going to be queen and Ellie wasn’t. God, she wasn’t looking forward to tonight.

A few hours later, the limo pulled up in front of a grand estate and the trio stepped out. Ellie glanced up at the white estate with perfectly trimmed hedges and flowers lining the sides of the pathway leading towards the entrance. It was a perfectly picturesque place. Ellie didn’t know why, but she pictured a lot of grand decorations and a giant flag saying, ‘I won, Ellie!’ but thinking of it now, it sounded a bit too much for Madeleine. She knew that woman was going to be proud and boast about her success in front of her while being as prim and proper as she could. Hopefully, she could make it through the evening without wanting to stab that woman with a fork.

Ellie glanced around the estate before stating, “I was expecting more.”

Maxwell chuckled as he stood beside her. “I would expect so coming from you.” He started laughing again when Ellie shot him a look which made him remember that she wasn’t Emilia now, but Ellie. “Sorry.” He composed himself then nodded. “Madeleine’s family home is considered one of the finest in Cordonia.”

“And, lucky for us, she’s been gracious enough to grant us rooms in the main house,” Bertrand stated then paused, thinking it over. “Though I’m still not certain if we should take this as a good sign or not.”

“You mean she might be keeping her friends close but her enemies closer?” asked Maxwell, glancing over at his brother.

“Precisely.”

Ellie let out a sigh, really not look forward to tonight. But, the sooner they got through the day, the sooner she could lounge on her bed and forget the world. She grabbed her things and followed the brothers inside the manor. As they walked up the grand staircase, she glanced around at the cream walls with paintings lining them. Emerald and gold tapestry lined the walls in little arches as well as wrapped around railings. She spotted royal blue and white fabric alongside the emerald and gold, thinking it was a joining of both the Royal Family and Madeleine’s. It was almost like Madeleine was taunting her, screaming that she won, and she got the Prince. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing her tonight.

Ellie walked into her room with Maxwell right behind her. She looked around her accommodations as she put her luggage down. She was surprised by how nice the room she got was. Icy blue walls surrounded her with a mural of clouds with stars painted on the ceiling. The queen bed had teal blankets with gold trim and the pillows were a bright white also with gold trim. To be honest, she was expecting a lot worse, and it seemed she wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“Well, this is lovely!” Maxwell exclaimed, looking around the room. “I kind of expected her to put you in a broom closet or something.”

“She’s not that petty. She’d probably find ways to make me feel inferior.”

“If we can be certain of one item, it’s that Madeleine will be going to great lengths to present a show of strength tonight,” Bertrand stated.

Ellie sighed. She was _really_ not looking forward to tonight.

“Now, you should get dressed for the party. Remember, this is your grand re-entrance to courtly society. The others in court don’t know you’re here, so it’ll be quite a surprise. It’s imperative that you look your finest, and I have just the dress.” Bertrand turned to one of the garment bags hanging on the door and unzipped it, a hot pink dress peeking out. Ellie grimaced at the color as she turned to Bertrand, who had a wide smile on his face. “This dress is perfectly respectable. It’s dignified, distinctive, and it’s designer.”

“And it was on sale,” Maxwell added to which Bertrand turned to glare at his brother. He turned back to Ellie and schooled his features into a calm façade as he held out the garment bag to her. “In any case, I think this will be quite sufficient.”

Ellie didn’t move from her spot, only staring at the dress. She was _not_ going to wear it. Maxwell sensed her hesitation as he grabbed another garment bag. “I also grabbed another dress if you wanted a second opinion.” As he handed it over, he whispered, “And it’s not pink.”

Ellie smiled and thanked him as she took the dress into the connected bathroom to try it on. It was a royal purple with a deep V-neck. The one-inch straps had jeweled embellishments on it as well as at the end of the dress which stopped just below her knee. This was much better than the pink one Bertrand had. That one would have drawn everyone’s attention to her, but she wanted to be subtle as well. This dress offered both that the court would notice her, but hopefully not pay too much attention to her. She then walked out of the bathroom and did a small twirl for the brothers. “How do I look?” she asked.

“You look stunning,” Maxwell answered with a smile. “No one’s gonna want to mess with you.”

Bertrand nodded in approval. “Now, we’ll leave you to finish getting ready. We’ll go get settled in our rooms and then we’ll come to get you close to dinner.”

Ellie nodded. “Thank you.”

The brothers left her room and then closed the door behind them. Ellie searched through her luggage and took out her make-up bag and hairbrush then headed back into the bathroom. She brushed her hair then decided on a French braid. She went with a simple look with her make-up by only using mascara, eyeliner, and a deep red lipstick. She put a bit of concealer under her eyes to cover her dark circles as well as some blemishes. She double-checked herself in the mirror before leaving the bathroom, searching her bag for her black one-inch heels then put them on once she found them. A knock sounded at her door and went to answer it, finding Maxwell on the other side. A small smile was on his face as he offered his arm to her. “Are you ready?”

She gave him a smile in return as she linked her arm with his. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” The two walked downstairs and towards the grand hall. As they neared the doors, she tightened her hold on Maxwell’s arm, steadying her breathing. She can do this. She can handle this. Maxwell laid a hand on hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze as the doors were thrown open and the two walked in.

Marble walls with golden accents made the room shine with the many chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. All the tables had centerpieces of green, blue, and white flowers that rested in gold vases. Many of the guests were wearing bright colors and Ellie could feel herself standing out in her purple dress, especially since everyone’s eyes were on her. She held her head high, but she couldn’t ignore the whispers of all the guests.

“It’s Lady Ellie!”

“I can’t believe she’d dare show her face again.”

“I wonder if she’s slept with the Beaumonts.”

Ellie flinched at the last comment, blinking away tears that were filling her eyes. She would _not_ let them get to her. Maxwell cast her a worried look before leaning in and saying, “Don’t listen to them. They don’t know you as I do.”

Ellie smiled in thanks before her attention turned to the press huddled together. She readied herself for them to rush her, to start asking her questions, but was surprised when they only stared at her walk by. Ana de Luca observed her outfit then commented into her recorder. “Lady Ellie has returned to court and she’s as fashionable as ever. She hasn’t missed a beat, even in social exile.”

“It’ll be interesting to see what Lady Ellie intends to accomplish tonight,” Donny commented as he watched her every move.

Ellie didn’t know what to make of the press, but at least they weren’t bashing her like the rest of court was. She was grateful that no one had approached her yet, but she spoke too soon as an older woman approached. The light caught her light blonde, making it look like her hair was glowing. She wore a simple green dress, but Ellie could see hints of gold that sparkled in a certain light. Two strings of pearls wrapped around her neck, and a cocktail was held firmly in the woman’s grasp. She stopped before Ellie, assessing her before speaking, “You must be the infamous Lady Ellie.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Ellie answered with a nod. This woman looked really familiar, something in her facial features looked like someone.

“How bold of _you_ to attend,” the woman was silent before a grin spread across her face, “but it’d be a boring party without a little scandal, don’t you think?” She raised her glass in a mock toast. “Welcome to Fydelia.”

 _Welcome?_ Ellie was confused and as she stared more at this mystery woman, it finally clinked why this woman was so familiar. “You must be Madeleine’s mother.”

“That’s right. I suppose the family resemblance must be what gave me away,” she chuckled heartily. “And not my age. My name is Adelaide.”

Ellie dropped into a curtsy. “It’s an honor to be here, My Lady.”

“The press said you were an uncouth American who jilted King Liam.” Adelaide took a sip of her drink as she observed Ellie. “But now that I’ve met you, I’m not sure I believe them.”

This shocked Ellie, assuming that since she was Madeleine’s mother, she would have gloated about her daughter being chosen or for an insult to be thrown her way. She didn’t think Adelaide would question the press and potentially side with her. Before she could think more of it, Adelaide turned to Maxwell and fixed him with a harsh glare. “Now _you_. I believe everything they say about you.”

Maxwell fidgeted in his spot as he offered her a charming smile to try and douse her anger. “You’re looking lovely as ever, Lady Adelaide.”

 _Flattery is not going to get you anywhere,_ Ellie thought as she saw Adelaide’s anger grow.

“Lord Maxwell Beaumont, you have quite a bit of explaining to do!” She stared him down for a bit before she crossed an arm over her chest, resting the arm holding her drink on top as she smirked. “How is it that I’m never invited to any of those Beaumont parties that I’ve heard so much about?”

 _Wait, what?_ Ellie turned to Maxwell who let out a nervous chuckle. “Must’ve been a terrible oversight on our part!”

Adelaide nodded. “See to it that I’m on the guestlist for the next one, if there are any more parties now that you’re more…settled.” She glanced between the two as a knowing smile spread across her face, and Ellie immediately knew what she was going to say next. “Don’t the two of your make a darling couple.”

 _Yup, I figured._ Ellie only smiled as she shook her head. “You’re mistaken. We’re more like brother and sister.”

Maxwell nodded in agreement. “Ellie is House Beaumont, after all.”

“Of course. Now, you should go pay your respects to Madeleine. Don’t let me keep you any longer.” She gestured over towards an area by the mantel before walking away.

“Ready to face Madeleine?” Maxwell asked as they made their way over.

 _Not really._ But Ellie nodded as she steeled her nerves. She spotted Madeleine standing in the center as she finished a conversation with another person before turning away, her eyes finding Ellie’s. She smirked as she turned her attention to them, and Ellie stared at the dress she wore. It was an emerald and gold dress with gold lace covering the deep V-neck of her outfit. Her hair was done in a half-up, half-down style with the pulled back part braided. Everything about her outfit, even her smile, screamed ‘I won.’ Ellie took a deep breath, knowing this woman was going to push her buttons.

“Oh, Lady Ellie,” Madeleine greeted, “I’m so pleased that your recent fall from grace didn’t keep you away. A lesser woman more well-versed in courtly politics might have gone into hiding. It’s so brave of you to be here.”

Ellie returned her smile. “Thank you, Lady Madeleine. I’m glad to return to court as well for a few lies won’t keep me away.” 

“Oh, my,” Madeleine exclaimed as shock ran across her face. “So, you’re denying that the photos are real?”

“Yes, I was set up.”

“Uh-huh.” She cocked her head to the side. “And who would want to do that?”

Ellie stared her in the eye and said, “You tell me.”

Maxwell squeezed her hand as a warning, and Ellie stilled herself. _Don’t make a scene. Don’t make a scene._

“Oh, I’m sure I wouldn’t know. I do wish you luck in clearing your name. I’ll be far too busy to follow the news on that. What with King Liam and I being very much engaged.” She looked past Ellie. “Isn’t that right, darling?”

Ellie turned, clenching Maxwell’s arm as Liam walked over to them. He looked ever much like a royal, posture straight and hands clasped behind his back, displaying that of a calm, stoic leader. But even with the air he put up, Ellie could tell it was an act. He looked so stiff, almost like he didn’t want to be here. A small smile was on his face as he glanced at Madeleine but when his eyes moved to Ellie, his smile faded, and his lips parted in a small ‘O’ as he stared at her. “Emi…Ahem, I mean Lady Ellie?” Just as quickly as his expression came, he schooled his features back into that calm façade, but his eyes were shining with hope, awe, and love. Ellie wanted to scoff at that. “I am surprised to see you.” He glanced over her outfit and his smile widened. “You look as stunning as ever.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, placing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. Ellie felt chills run down her back at the feel of his lips against her skin, her mind taking her back to the night of the Coronation. Right before she could get lost in her memories, she immediately cast it aside. Liam glanced back up at her with that charming smile of his that made her knees go weak, but she held firm. She was _not_ going to let it show that he affected her. “It’s quite a pleasure to see you here.”

“I wouldn’t be here with your invite, Your Majesty,” Ellie said, her voice dull of emotion as she stared into his eyes. “I’m still part of House Beaumont after all.” 

Liam’s smile faded, catching the double meaning of her words. He knew he hurt her, judging by how closed off she was. But he needed to talk with her, to clear up the air of what happened that night. “We need to-” Before he could finish, Madeleine laid a hand on his arm.

“We need to see to the rest of our guests, _sweetheart_.” Madeleine flashed a quick glance in Ellie’s direction before smiling sweetly up at him. “Being the royal couple of the hour has its obligations.” Then, she leaned in and pressed a kiss against his cheek. Ellie pursed her lips and tightened her hold on Maxwell who flinched at her hold. She loosened her grip, knowing she would have to apologize to him later. But she knew this was only the beginning of Madeleine gloating in her face, letting her know that Liam was hers, and it was going to be hell.

“Yes, of course,” Liam answered as he glanced back at her.

“It was wonderful to see you both. I hope the rest of the night goes well for you.” Ellie smiled, and Liam could see it didn’t reach her eyes. He offered her a small smile before he walked off with Madeleine.

Ellie watched them go before she felt Maxwell pull her away, leading her towards the tables. “We’ve got to be careful around Madeleine right now.”

“Yeah, can’t trust anybody,” Ellie muttered.

“No, I don’t mean that.” Maxwell stared at her with a worried expression. “You still have Bertrand and I as well as your family. As for Liam, I’m sure he’ll try and talk to you in private.”

Ellie just nodded. She felt drained already and just wanted to go back to her room and sleep. Hopefully, the food here was good and Madeleine wouldn’t sabotage it like Olivia did. As they continued walking, more whispers followed them and Ellie didn’t listen to them, not wanting to hear what horrible things they thought of her. But it turned out, they weren’t talking about her.

“Ellie, they’re here,” Maxwell whispered, and Ellie gave him a quizzical look before following his gaze towards the entrance.

Her parents strode in with Alicia following right behind. Ellie was impressed by how much Alicia changed as her head was held high, not bothering to glance around the room as she set her sights on Madeleine. She prayed that Alicia wouldn’t do anything rash but quickly cast that aside. Alicia wasn’t known to make scenes, and she wouldn’t start today.

She watched as her parents greeted Liam and Madeleine as Alicia stood by their side, listening and speaking up when she was addressed, but other than that, she didn’t do much. Liam seemed tense as he spoke which made her wonder why until she remembered he was talking with her parents. She could tell her father was holding back from the way her mother hung on his arm with her hand clutching his. Her mother was more in tune with her emotions, but from the way Madeleine shrunk from Natalia’s gaze, her eyes were probably burning a hole into Madeleine. While it warmed her heart her parents were defending her in subtle tones, she hoped none of the press picked up their body language or else there would be more rumors spreading about them.

“Your father looks intimidating,” Maxwell commented, staring at her parents.

“That’s his look,” stated Ellie. “He’s kind of like Olivia but, not as…eccentric.”

Maxwell nodded then he caught sight of his brother. “Hey, I see Bertrand over by the tables. He must’ve found our seats.”

The two started to walk over towards him when Ellie caught sight of Penelope and Kiara heading towards. Well, more like Penelope was heading to her and Kiara was trying to pull her away.

“Ellie!” Penelope exclaimed, pulling her into a hug which surprised her. “I’m so excited to see you.” Ellie returned her hug, a small smile on her face. “I’m happy to see you too, Penelope.”

Penelope pulled away and her eyes lit up upon seeing her dress. “Ooh, I _love_ your dress! Is it new?”

Before Ellie could answer, Kiara stepped in, glaring at her before turning to Penelope. “Ahem! Penelope, what are you doing? Even if Lady Ellie was someone we deigned to associate with, we’re on Madeleine’s side now, remember.”

Penelope’s face fell. “Oh, right.” She glanced at Ellie before looking away, taking a step back. It almost seemed as if she was guilty for greeting Ellie, but she didn’t focus on that but more on Kiara’s words.

“I didn’t know there were sides,” she answered, her smile fading as she lost two more people who chose to believe the article and not her. She stared at each lady, trying to meet their gazes but they were pointedly looking away. “Aren’t we friends?” 

Penelope flinched, cracking first as she glanced at Ellie, tears gathering in her eyes. “We are!”

“Friendship has nothing to do with it,” Kiara answered, more in control of her emotions than Penelope. “Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but Madeleine’s made us her ladies-in-waiting.”

“It’s a huge, huge honor,” added Penelope. “We’re basically her closest confidantes!”

“But that also means that we’re beholden to be loyal to her.”

Ellie nodded. She really didn’t have any allies in court besides the Beaumonts. Everyone was turned against her. “I understand,” she said, giving them an understanding smile. “Thank you for letting me know.”

Penelope brought her into another hug. “It was the least we could do.”

“And we might even get in trouble for talking with you this long. Come along, Penelope.” Kiara pulled her away, nodding towards Ellie before they walked away. Ellie closed her eyes, willing the tears to go away. She couldn’t believe how one article could change her life so much. So many people admired and loved her, all rooting for her to be the one chosen by the Prince to be the next Queen. But one article comes out, spreading false rumors around her, and everyone who praised her had shunned her instead. She basically became the court’s number one bad guy. 

Maxwell gently nudged her, offering her a smile. “It’s their loss. We’re more fun than Madeleine’s table.” He led her towards the back of the room where Bertrand sat and the two sat down. Ellie took notice of only three placeholders and realized they would be the only ones at the table. _Great, we’ll stick out like sore thumbs,_ Ellie thought, glancing around at all the other full tables in the room. She heard Maxwell and Bertrand talk with each other and she turned to focus on them, trying to get her mind off this terrible night.

“It seems Madeleine has wasted no time consolidating power,” stated Bertrand, glancing at the head table and let out a deep sigh. “Unfortunately, she has us at a disadvantage. We don’t have anything to offer potential allies.”

_What allies? The only people on my side are you two and my family._

“It’s okay!” Maxwell exclaimed cheerfully. “We don’t need anyone else. We’ve got each other!”

Ellie smiled at him, loving his enthusiasm. She hoped he would never change. She heard Bertrand sigh and glanced at him, seeing him shake his head. As she opened her mouth to talk, servers came out and placed plates of the first course down in front of them. Ellie waited till they were gone before asking, “Did you find any information, Bertrand?”

“I spoke briefly with some of the reporters. They haven’t been able to reach Tariq for a comment.” Ellie nodded, feeling a bit elated for knowing that the press was looking to hear Tariq’s side of the story. “And obviously, you haven’t given them an official statement yet. According to Ms. de Luca, your best chance at clearing your name is to compel Tariq to make a statement with you explaining misunderstanding.” Bertrand took a bite of his meal then turned to her. “Where do you think Tariq stands?”

Ellie thought about the confrontation she had with him, and everything that he said to her. Now as she thought more about it, it didn’t sound like he would have waltzed into her room like that. Instead, it almost seemed someone _told_ Tariq false information. “I think he was set up as well,” Ellie said. “He seemed to think that I was in _his_ room and that _I_ was somehow confessing my love to _him_.”

Maxwell nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I’ve known Tariq a long time, and I don’t think he’s _ever_ made the first move. For what it’s worth, I think he was genuinely confused.”

“Which means we both got played,” Ellie growled out, clenching her glass in anger. Someone deliberately did this just so she would get kicked out of the running, to make sure Liam never chose her as his bride. She was pissed.

“No matter how we might feel about him, he _is_ the key to all of this,” stated Bertrand. “We need to find him and get him to make a statement.”

“Where do we start?”

Bertrand was quiet as he thought about it. “He’s been conspicuously absent since that night at the country manor. He didn’t come to our home, and he wasn’t even at the Coronation.”

“And I don’t see him here tonight,” Maxwell added, looking around the room.

“Indeed,” Bertrand nodded. “I asked around, and it appears that he’s left court. If he’s being used as a pawn, it’s likely that whoever set this up wanted him out of the way to prevent him from coming forward with the truth.”

“So, we need to find him,” confirmed Ellie.

“Precisely. The sooner the better.”

Ellie glanced across the room at the head table where Madeleine and Liam sat, watching as Madeleine fed Liam a piece of lobster. She turned away and focused on her meal, forcing herself to eat. After seeing that display, she had lost her appetite, but she did need to eat. She wasn’t going to starve herself because she saw something she didn’t like. She listened to Bertrand and Maxwell plan, only adding in when addressed. The only thing she wanted to do was lay in bed and try to forget the disgusted looks she received.

*******

Later that night, Ellie finished taking off her make-up then fished through her bag for her sweats, wanting to wash off the day’s events and then curl up in bed and get lost in a book. As she was about to head into the en-suite bathroom, a knock sounded at the door. She let out a sigh and placed her clothes and toiletries on the bed before walking over to the door, opening it to find two dozen roses greeting her. She arched an eyebrow before Maxwell’s head peered around the flowers, a wide smile on his face. “Special delivery!” He walked into the room and placed the bouquet on the table. “Housekeeping sent over a new centerpiece for your end table.”

Ellie walked up to the flowers, admiring the arrange of roses and breathing in their scent. She spotted a note wedged in the flowers and took it out, reading it to herself.

_I wouldn’t blame you if you’re furious with me, but please meet me so I can at least explain. I’ll be on the balcony outside my room in twenty minutes._

Maxwell peered over her shoulder, reading the note before widening his eyes. “That’s Liam’s handwriting!”

Ellie reread the note, trying to decide if she wanted to go or not. Part of her wanted to say screw it and not go, but she did want to know why he did what he did. After much internal debate, she decided she must go as she crossed the room to the door. “Where are you going?” Maxwell asked.

“To see Liam.” Before she opened the door, Maxwell crossed over and grabbed her arm. “The hallway’s crowded with nobles and staff. Madeleine basically put you in the corner of the estate _farthest_ from Liam!”

Ellie paused, hand on the doorknob as she thought over Maxwell’s words. She really shouldn’t create more of a scandal of herself if she was seen going towards the King’s room. She glanced back at Maxwell then her eyes caught sight of the window and headed over, opening it up.

“Are you crazy?!” Maxwell exclaimed, heading over to pull her away. “Bertrand will burst a blood vessel if you tried that.”

“First off, how is me climbing out a window crazy despite the stuff you have done? Second, what other choice do I have?”

Before Maxwell could answer, a knock sounded at the door. Both glanced at the door, back at each other, then back at the door. Ellie snapped out of her stupor as she walked over, opening it to find a servant standing on the other side. She curtsied before her. “My Lady, Countess Emilia wishes to speak with you. She sent me over to lead you to her room.”

 _What does Alicia want?_ Ellie wondered as she nodded then turned back to Maxwell. “Will you let anyone who comes to visit me know that I’ll be with the Countess?”

He nodded and Ellie followed the servant down the hall. She felt the eyes of other nobles and servants following her as she walked past but didn’t pay them any mind. She was summoned, and who was she to defy a summoning? They came to a door halfway through the next wing and the servant knocked. “My Lady, Lady Ellie is here.”

“Enter.”

The servant opened the door and stepped aside, letting Ellie walk in before entering. Alicia sat at a table; a tea set laid out with a cup in front of her. She glanced over at Ellie, offering her a kind smile as she stood. “Lady Ellie, I’m so glad you could join me.” She turned to the servant. “Thank you, that’ll be all.”

“Of course, My Lady.” The servant curtsied then left the room, closing the door.

The two were quiet before they hurried up and hugged each other. “You did really well for your first time in court,” Ellie praised, a smile on her face. “Those lessons really paid off.”

“I was so nervous!” Alicia exclaimed, pulling away. “I was too scared to say anything in case I messed up.”

“If anything, people may say it’s been so long that you’ve been in court that you looked a bit awkward.” The two walked over to the table, sitting down as Ellie poured herself a cup. “What have you been hearing during dinner?”

“Most talked of your return, some were speculating what the King’s wedding will be like, and others talked about my return.” Alicia shot Ellie a look. “Aunt Natalia looked about ready to strangle Madeleine after dinner.”

Ellie’s eyebrow rose. “Why? Did something happen?” She couldn’t recall her mother and Madeleine speaking at all during dinner. Maybe it was something the woman did?

“No, nothing happened. I think she just doesn’t like Madeleine.”

“I know there was supposed to be a deal between my house and hers, but it fell through after a bad incident.” Ellie hummed in thought as she took a sip of her tea. “Maybe I should ask Mom what it was if that’s the reason she doesn’t like her.”

“I don’t blame her.” Alicia huffed. “She wouldn’t stop flaunting over Liam. She was getting on my nerves.”

“Just ignore her. It’s better to let the words slide over you then try to process them. You’ll save a lot of time. Now,” Ellie put her cup down, “why did you call for me? Did you just want to talk?”

A knock sounded at the door followed by a voice. “My Lady, His Majesty is here.”

Ellie’s eyes widened as she glanced at Alicia, but she didn’t pay her any mind, staring at the door instead. “Send him in.”

The door opened and Liam stepped into the room, his eyes widening as well upon seeing Ellie here. Silence filled the room, everyone staring at each other, not sure what to say. Alicia glanced between the two then mentally sighed as she strode up to Liam. “My name is Alicia Asari, Your Majesty, I’m pretending to be Emilia until her fake name is cleared.”

Liam smiled, grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise. Now, I think you two need to talk so I’ll head into the other room.” As she walked by, she passed Ellie and whispered, “If you need me, call.” She walked away, leaving Ellie and Liam in silence. The two stared at each before Liam walked over to Ellie and she met him halfway, wrapping her arms around him as he did the same. The two were silent, basking in each other’s comfort before Liam broke the silence. “I’ve missed you, Emilia.”

Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat upon hearing the adoration in his voice. She gently pulled away, keeping her gaze to the ground as she asked, “Aren’t you going to ask if it’s true?”

“About you and Tariq?” She nodded, still not looking at him. “No, I don’t need to ask to know that it was a setup.”

She snapped her attention to him at that, confusion crossing her features. If he didn’t believe the stories, then why? Why make her go through all this if he didn’t believe it? “So…why did you choose Madeleine?”

Liam’s face fell at the question. “Someone was willing to go to great lengths to set you up. To put you in a comprising position, to invade your privacy, and put you at risk.” Liam’s voice rose in anger as he spoke, his fists clenched at his sides. “Drake told me about the lock on your door.”

Ellie nodded in conformation, shivering at the remembrance of trying to fall asleep that night with the chair against her door to make sure no one could get in.

“Someone is determined to prevent you from becoming queen, and they seem to have considerable resources and access to the royal court.” Liam’s anger faded as hurt and worry replaced it. “And if I had stood up there and chosen you, Emilia, from then on, you’d be in danger. I wish I could say that the palace guards would protect you, but the truth is that they had already failed at the country estate. That entire building was meant to be secure,” Liam growled that last part out. He took a deep breath, his fingernails digging into his palm. “When I think that someone who meant you harm and ruin was able to manipulate the situation so meticulously,” he took another deep breath to calm himself down, staring Ellie in the eyes. “Lady Emilia, it terrifies me that they could’ve set you up for worse.”

“But I would have had the protection from my father as well,” Ellie pointed out. “Even if you didn’t trust your guards, I would have trusted my father’s. I don’t understand.”

Liam sighed, his eyes filled with pain as he glanced away, walking over to an end table and grasping the sides of it. “I…never told you about my mother.”

“You told me she died when you were young,” Ellie said, trying to understand where he was going with this.

“The details of her death were kept secret from the public, but she was poisoned.” Ellie let out a soft gasp, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. She walked over to him, placing a hand on his back. She couldn’t imagine the pain he was in when his mother was killed. She can’t imagine living without her own mom that it must have been hell for him.

Liam let out a sigh as he turned to her, reaching out to cup her cheek. “If I lost you, Emilia, I will regret what I did at the Coronation for the rest of my life because I hurt you.” He moved his other hand to cup her cheek, cradling her face in his hands. “And I’m so sorry that it happened as it did, but at that moment, that only way that I could think of to keep you safe was to make them think they’d won.”

“Liam,” Ellie sighed, gently removing his hands from her face and held them, staring down at them. “I understand why, but you realize the last few weeks have been torture for me, right?” She glanced up at him, tears welling in her eyes. “I thought you had believed the rumors, that you’d chosen Madeleine because you thought she would be more faithful to you than me.”

Liam squeezed her hands, bringing them up to kiss her knuckles, eyes wet with unshed tears. “Emilia, I’m so, so sorry. I know this must have been miserable for you.” He let out a sigh, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “In order for the entire gambit to work, it had to appear that I believed the photos and had severed ties with you. If it’s any consolation,” he offered her a small smile, “I’ve thought of you every single day of every single minute since we parted.”

“Well,” Ellie smiled slightly, “it’s _some_ consolation. We both were tortured these past few weeks.”

Liam chuckled and cupped her cheek as he leaned forward. Ellie stared at his lips, feeling herself lean forward, wanting to kiss him again. But she then felt ice run through her veins as she leaned away, remembering the circumstances. “Wait, you’re still engaged to Madeleine, even if it’s not what you want.”

“That’s correct,” Liam sighed out, “But Madeleine and I have an understanding.”

“Oh?” Ellie thought of the different scenarios he and Madeleine came to terms with and, even though she hated it, thought Madeleine accepted being the ‘placeholder’ until her name was cleared. But, knowing Madeleine, she probably only cared about herself.

“She knows that I’m not in love with her.”

“She does?”

“Yes, and she simply doesn’t care.” _Figures_. “You don’t know Madeleine very well, but she’s uncompromising practical and as cunning as she is calculating. That’s the entire reason I picked her, actually.”

Ellie arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” She had a bad feeling about this, but she hoped it wasn’t as bad as she thought.

“The night before the Coronation, she came to my room and proposed such an arrangement. She told me it was obvious that I was in love with you, but that regardless of my feelings, _she_ would be the best Queen for Cordonia.” Liam hesitated to speak the next part which caused Ellie to worry more, not looking forward to hearing this arrangement Madeleine had in mind. “I could have the best of both worlds if I picked her. She’d be perfectly happy to let me continue our relationship as long as she got to be queen.”

Ellie froze, her blood going cold at this plan of Madeleine’s. She was shocked that Madeleine would be ok with Liam going behind her back, letting her _husband_ be unfaithful towards her and willingly accept it. That shock soon turned to anger as she glared at Liam, backing away from. “So, I would become the other woman, then.”

Liam had the decency to look horrified as he reached out to her. “No, that’s not what it will be.”

“Then what do you call it?!” Ellie screeched, tears welling in her eyes. “No matter how you put it, it’s still the same! I’ll be your mistress, your dirty little secret, your whore!” Tears ran down Ellie’s face. “Do you not understand?! Everyone already believes I’m a slut, and now hearing from the man I love that it's supposed to be my role in court, it’s insulting!” She wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing her eyes shut. “And after I told you about my last attempt at love, this felt like a slap in the face.”

“Emilia,” Liam laid a hand on her shoulder, but Ellie jerked away, glaring daggers at him. “Don’t touch me! In fact, don’t even call me by that name anymore! You probably only thought of me as Ellie, the American who thought all her dreams could come true if she followed the Prince into a fairy tale life.”

“No, I didn’t,” Liam’s voice wavered, tears spilling down his cheeks. “Emilia, please.”

Alicia came in then, stepping in-between them as she glared at Liam. “I think that’s enough for tonight. You should leave, _Your Majesty_.”

Liam flinched at the venom in her words, glancing over her shoulder at Ellie. She refused to look at him, tears still streaming down her face. Liam headed over to the door, slowly opening it then glanced back at the two. “Thank you for inviting me over, my Lady. Have a good night.” He stepped out then gently closed the door behind him.

Alicia glared at the door then turned to her cousin, her face falling at seeing Ellie tremble in her spot. She brought Ellie into her arms and that’s when the woman broke, her knees buckling as she collapsed to the floor, bringing Alicia with her. She cried into her chest, wishing that this horrible, horrible pain would leave. She wished she never came to court as Ellie Smith. She wished she never accepted Maxwell’s offer. She wished she never met Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ellie! Like most people who played through the game, I also didn't like how accepting MC was of why Liam choose Madeleine. It feels like it further damages her heart from being labeled as 'the other woman.' 
> 
> But that's it! Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter out soon! If you want to see my updating schedule of when I plan to upload, check out my [Tumblr](http://fandomwriter31.tumblr.com/) where I have an updating schedule planned for this month!


End file.
